Really Bizarre Ticket Snaffu!

[AngiTN]

It was a last minute thing and I had purchased a 4 day e ticket with UT. We were hurrying around and I didn't know any other way to do it. Are you saying I could have taken my 4 UT ticket and upgraded it at a disney counter for a 5 day? Or are you saying I could contact UT and ask them to upgrade the ticket? I already had Fastpasses (to Flight of passage) and was afraid that even if UT could switch something around, I would have a different ticket number and we would lose our Fast passes. And...edited to add...in all the years of reading on here, I have only read how to upgrade from a UT ticket to an AP, but not just adding a day to a third party ticket. Please do tell.

The ticket is not a UT ticket. It's a Disney ticket that you bought from UT. Once bought, you do all changes and upgrades right from Disney. UT has nothing to do with it from the point of purchase

 

[Hisgirl]

The CM told us he did not have a ticket left (even though there was indeed one day) and her comments and posture were 'He does not have a ticket, you cannot come in'. Period. No suggestion we could add a day. I'm happy to know this and will def. do it in the future. I honestly thought I could just add for an AP. Yes, I wasted some money but it was done and there it is. I'll know better in the future.

 

[AngiTN]

The CM told us he did not have a ticket left (even though there was indeed one day) and her comments and posture were 'He does not have a ticket, you cannot come in'. Period. No suggestion we could add a day. I'm happy to know this and will def. do it in the future. I honestly thought I could just add for an AP. Yes, I wasted some money but it was done and there it is. I'll know better in the future.

You don't understand. Or maybe we don't.
When did you buy the 1 day MK ticket? Before or after you used the 4 day ticket?
People are saying you could have added 1 day to the 4 day ticket instead of buying a 1 day MK ticket but yes, you have to have done that before you used all 4 days of the 4 day ticket.
But in your first post it sounds like you did buy the 1 day ticket before you used your 4 day ticket.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Are CM's typically trained to offer guests ways to save money? Curious.

Considering the guest had no idea about prioritizing, Guest Relations CMs are free to offer Guest Recovery especially when comping a day costs nothing to Disney.

 

[Corwin]

The CM told us he did not have a ticket left (even though there was indeed one day) and her comments and posture were 'He does not have a ticket, you cannot come in'. Period. No suggestion we could add a day. I'm happy to know this and will def. do it in the future. I honestly thought I could just add for an AP. Yes, I wasted some money but it was done and there it is. I'll know better in the future.

The CM said that because your grandson had used all 4 days of his 4-day MYW ticket, and only had a 1-day MK ticket which he was attempting to use to enter AK.

To avoid this whole issue, when you decided to go to MK that first evening, instead of purchasing a 1-day MK ticket, it would have been more cost-effective to simply use the 4-day MYW ticket that evening. Then go to guest services later that night or the next day (but no later than the end of the fourth day) and ask to upgrade the 4-day MYW ticket to a 5-day MYW ticket. This costs about $12.

It is always more cost effective to upgrade a ticket rather than purchase a whole new ticket.

P.S. There is a whole stickied thread at the top of this forum that explains all of this. See the section on "Upgrading Tickets."

 

[Disneylover99]

Considering the guest had no idea about prioritizing, Guest Relations CMs are free to offer Guest Recovery especially when comping a day costs nothing to Disney.

Yes. Guest recovery and prioritizing for sure, I can see CM's being helpful. We've been helped numerous times ourselves, but I was thinking more in terms of someone with a four day ticket who doesn't ask to add on a day, but simply asks to buy a one day ticket. I'm sure there are lots of people who don't know that you can add on tickets. Are CM's trained specifically to help the guest save money in these types of circumstances?

 

[hiroMYhero]

Yes. Guest recovery and prioritizing for sure, I can see CM's being helpful. We've been helped numerous times ourselves, but I was thinking more in terms of someone with a four day ticket who doesn't ask to add on a day, but simply asks to buy a one day ticket. I'm sure there are lots of people who don't know that you can add on tickets. Are CM's trained specifically to help the guest save money in these types of circumstances?

The OP had already purchased the one day ticket and it was linked to the Profile and sitting there unused. A GR CM, with an awareness of tickets, could have easily comped that AK day and told the OP to save the MK ticket.

When guests lose items or their kids ruin the clothing they are wearing, CMs hand out vouchers for items to be chosen at the nearest shop free of charge. Even if a guest is wearing a shirt with profane graphics, a voucher is handed out so they can choose something more appropriate to wear. CMs usually don’t wait to be asked; they offer vouchers and other types of Guest Recovery to make the guest’s day pleasant rather than have the guest think what occurred was a bizarre incident.

 

[Disneylover99]

The OP had already purchased the one day ticket and it was linked to the Profile and sitting there unused. A GR CM, with an awareness of tickets, could have easily comped that AK day and told the OP to save the MK ticket.

When guests lose items or their kids ruin the clothing they are wearing, CMs hand out vouchers for items to be chosen at the nearest shop free of charge. Even if a guest is wearing a shirt with profane graphics, a voucher is handed out so they can choose something more appropriate to wear. CMs usually don’t wait to be asked; they offer vouchers and other types of Guest Recovery to make the guest’s day pleasant rather than have the guest think what occurred was a bizarre incident.

Sorry. I don't think I'm making myself clear. I'm not thinking about the OP in this situation. I realize in the OP's case they had purchased the one day ticket before arriving at Disney. I know that many CM's bend over backwards to make a guests experience better. It just made me think about other scenarios. I'm wondering if a CM would question why someone would want to buy a one day ticket if they currently had a four day ticket. Would they suggest the option to add on a day? Or would they just sell them the ticket.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Sorry. I don't think I'm making myself clear. I'm not thinking about the OP in this situation. I realize in the OP's case they had purchased the one day ticket before arriving at Disney. I know that many CM's bend over backwards to make a guests experience better. It just made me think about other scenarios. I'm wondering if a CM would question why someone would want to buy a one day ticket if they currently had a four day ticket. Would they suggest the option to add on a day? Or would they just sell them the ticket.

It’s Disney - CMs are trained to provide for the guests. If a guest approached a ticket window and said they had a multi-day ticket and needed additional tickets, the CM would offer an upgrade rather than selling separate tickets. The CMs can also access MDX accounts - they can easily provide accommodations for guests.

 

[bumbershoot]

Huh?

Weren’t you trying to figure out why a ticket would be used before an AP?

I guess the part I didn’t put in there would be if it’s an unused (inactivated I suppose) AP?

Just trying to think of reasons.

There has to be a reason they didn’t make the system to go AP first and then ticket.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

It’s Disney - CMs are trained to provide for the guests. If a guest approached a ticket window and said they had a multi-day ticket and needed additional tickets, the CM would offer an upgrade rather than selling separate tickets. The CMs can also access MDX accounts - they can easily provide accommodations for guests.

Can confirm; any halfway decent vacation planning (ticket window) CM would absolutely jump at any chance to upgrade a ticket rather than sell a brand-new one day ticket.

 

[Princess Mulan]

Can confirm; any halfway decent vacation planning (ticket window) CM would absolutely jump at any chance to upgrade a ticket rather than sell a brand-new one day ticket.

Unfortunately I’ve been told multiple times over the years that I could not add a day to tickets but had to purchase a single-day admission instead. In each case, even when questioned, the CM insisted that additional days could not be added. Thanks to reading these boards, I knew just to leave and try again at another guest services desk. I’ve always received the best (and correct) service at guest services inside Epcot. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky with that location, but it’s now my preferred stop for ticket questions.

 

[Hisgirl]

Well this has been a learning thread for me. I did not have ANY idea I could have upgraded that ticket and added a day. When I bought the 4 day ticket, we had no plans to go that extra arrival day. I recall sitting in front of my computer wondering how I could switch it out without messing up our fast pass selections.

Life has been complicated this year while caring for my elderly parents and all normally researched plans have been turned in to 'get it done and move on' events. I wish I had known. It was a $100 mistake I won't be making again.

 

[AngiTN]

Unfortunately I’ve been told multiple times over the years that I could not add a day to tickets but had to purchase a single-day admission instead. In each case, even when questioned, the CM insisted that additional days could not be added. Thanks to reading these boards, I knew just to leave and try again at another guest services desk. I’ve always received the best (and correct) service at guest services inside Epcot. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky with that location, but it’s now my preferred stop for ticket questions.

There are a few tickets that can't be added to/upgraded.
10 day tickets for one, as they are at their limit already
Some special ticket types too, such as the special 4 park, 1 park a day tickets that are sold every once in a while
Some comp tickets
I'm sure there are a few here and there I'm leaving out
But any traditional 1-9 day tickets can be added to. I really find it amazing you found multiple CM to say no. Heck, they even advertise it all over property as an option to do, encouraging you to add more park time.

 

[AngiTN]

Weren’t you trying to figure out why a ticket would be used before an AP?

I guess the part I didn’t put in there would be if it’s an unused (inactivated I suppose) AP?

Just trying to think of reasons.

There has to be a reason they didn’t make the system to go AP first and then ticket.

Oh, ok. Yeah, I didn't understand you were talking about an inactivated AP. And the CM I was talking to wasn't either. We were talking about an activated AP. Because we were talking about using an AP or a ticket to enter the park. So obviously the AP would have been activated.

 

[Corwin]

Unfortunately I’ve been told multiple times over the years that I could not add a day to tickets but had to purchase a single-day admission instead. In each case, even when questioned, the CM insisted that additional days could not be added. Thanks to reading these boards, I knew just to leave and try again at another guest services desk.

There are a few tickets that can't be added to/upgraded.
10 day tickets for one, as they are at their limit already
Some special ticket types too, such as the special 4 park, 1 park a day tickets that are sold every once in a while
Some comp tickets
I'm sure there are a few here and there I'm leaving out
But any traditional 1-9 day tickets can be added to. I really find it amazing you found multiple CM to say no. Heck, they even advertise it all over property as an option to do, encouraging you to add more park time.

Besides the cases mentioned by AngiTN, also note that you have to upgrade tickets before close-of-business on the last day you use the ticket for entry in a park. So if you use up all four days of a 4-day MYW ticket, you can't subsequently add a day after that fourth day.

Also note that MYW tickets are only valid for 14 days after first use, so you can't do any upgrades that would go past this.

Finally, if you have a 10-day MYW ticket that you want to add additional days to, while you won't be allowed to add more days (because 10 days is the limit for MYW tickets), you do have the option of upgrading it to an annual pass.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

The CM told us he did not have a ticket left (even though there was indeed one day) and her comments and posture were 'He does not have a ticket, you cannot come in'. Period. No suggestion we could add a day. I'm happy to know this and will def. do it in the future. I honestly thought I could just add for an AP. Yes, I wasted some money but it was done and there it is. I'll know better in the future.

We experienced something like this (and a CM like this) when my friend bought her annual pass. She had the DVC pass with blackout dates, but then decided to buy the regular annual pass. We went to enter the park, and she was told she couldn't come in (because black out dates). She was like "No, I upgraded to the regular one". They told her her new annual pass would be good in two weeks....once the black out dates were over. She was near tears (nurse who just got off a night shift and was powering through to visit Epcot with me since I flew in for 2 days) was like "I just want to go home". I dragged her to guest services where they were like "Oh, we'll just make sure it's activated right now...all done!". But the CM at the gate told her to not bother going to GS and basically told her to go home. It was weird.

 

[Princess Mulan]

Besides the cases mentioned by AngiTN, also note that you have to upgrade tickets before close-of-business on the last day you use the ticket for entry in a park. So if you use up all four days of a 4-day MYW ticket, you can't subsequently add a day after that fourth day.

Also note that MYW tickets are only valid for 14 days after first use, so you can't do any upgrades that would go past this.

Finally, if you have a 10-day MYW ticket that you want to add additional days to, while you won't be allowed to add more days (because 10 days is the limit for MYW tickets), you do have the option of upgrading it to an annual pass.

Yes, it is true that there are some ticket categories that cannot be altered. However, as has been noted on these boards, sometimes guests encounter CMs who are mistaken about the process of adding days or cannot calculate the correct price difference. In that case, I have found that it is best to simply go to another guest relations office, advice which I have read many times on these boards. For me, the Epcot guest relations office has been a reliable location with knowledgeable CMs, but others’ experiences might differ.

 

[AngiTN]

Yes, it is true that there are some ticket categories that cannot be altered. However, as has been noted on these boards, sometimes guests encounter CMs who are mistaken about the process of adding days or cannot calculate the correct price difference. In that case, I have found that it is best to simply go to another guest relations office, advice which I have read many times on these boards. For me, the Epcot guest relations office has been a reliable location with knowledgeable CMs, but others’ experiences might differ.

Yeah, price difference issues are very common. Yours is the first time I've heard of anyone who found a CM who couldn't figure out how to add a day (or days).
Funny about Epcot too. That one is one that is usually more problematic as there tend to be more International CP CM there and folks encounter more language problems there, than other spots.
Other yes, if you get an answer you don't like or know is wrong at one place, try again elsewhere.